What we now know as philanthropy operated along religious lines until relatively recently. Charity as religious obligation was essential in the traditions of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, but the concept evolved as western political and economic structures disconnected from organized religion. Yet, these roots play a major role in philanthropy today even as purely secular options have emerged.

Change is hard – especially with 104 years of inertia, but the United Way of Greater Cleveland is in the midst of a dramatic shift in how it does the “business of fundraising” – rebranding, reorganizing, retooling. While the transformation is not complete, come hear this local case study that demonstrates how to plan, inspire, and execute change in real time, by focusing on people, data, and creativity.

Technology is not synonymous with our profession, however, we are always looking at data. We compute and put data together in ways to help our clients, families, agencies/organizations or our ecosystem. Technology is evolving from storage and retrieval to predictive and cognitive learning. What does this path look like for our field, and will we adapt or lead?

Presented by the Master of Nonprofit Organizations (MNO) Program with support from theGail and Elliott Schlang Philanthropic Fund, a donor-advised fund of the Jewish Federation of Cleveland